beauty contest

noun

1

a

: an assemblage of girls or women at which judges select the most beautiful

called also beauty pageant

b

: a contest or competitive situation that is likened to a traditional beauty contest especially in involving judgments made on the basis of physical attractiveness or popular appeal

… an elite automotive expo and beauty contest where cars of only the highest caliber …

—Hannah Elliott

2

US politics : a presidential primary election in which the popular vote does not determine the number of convention delegates a candidate receives

Mr. Ford and Mr. Reagan are listed in the Republican preferential primary or "beauty contest."

—Charles Mohr

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

But, again, our hope is to not have to rely on a beauty contest. —Dallas News, 3 Dec. 2022

The photographs of 50 italian models selected for an important beauty contest were obtained. —Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 5 May 2011

Bay Hill would lose a beauty contest to the iconic, scenic gem nearly 2,800 miles away on Monterey Peninsula. —Dallas News, 5 Mar. 2022

The incident led her to enter a beauty contest in hopes of being able to leave Guyana. —Tabitha Britt, Peoplemag, 22 Dec. 2022

Here’s the twist: this peasant dish won’t win a beauty contest. —Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 11 Nov. 2022

Dozens of camels barred from competing in Saudi Arabia beauty contest over use of Botox. —Julius Lasin, USA TODAY, 8 Dec. 2021

The alt-universe Yeoh in question then does not enter a beauty contest and win. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2022

The image shows a Ukrainian soldier who won a beauty contest in 2016. —Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1a